I say yes, you say no, OR People are Strange

I too would have to applaud how Chris Christie has handled things while still feeling like if the storm had not intervened ( what a horrid way to bring it out ) he would have likely just kept on denouncing our President.  As it now appears -- he has the capacity to recognize when it is time to "get over it" and "get real" and do what you must for your fellow beings on this planet. Of course, you expect barbs for his "defection" and they have  come.  There is a lot of "blame" going around right now, especially toward Staten Island.  Well, isn't that a big help.....kick them when they are down. I hope and pray that all those who can't resist right now will recall their actions at this moment in time.  If God forbid, something should happen to you next.......how will you feel when you are told YOUR helping hand is at the end of your ARM.  No man is an island.....we all need help in some way, at some time.  Christie stepped up, no matter what he may have done in the past, the lesson in deep humility presented itself.  It is there for everyone to see and DIGEST.  I'm not planning on wasting what I have seen --- another good reason why I will be having an all Democratic ticket on Tuesday. 

Jackie

Looks like  we are well out in front with an 85% chance to get our four more yrs. 

Jackie

Oh Sandy.

(((Sandy)))

It used to take me three hours to get ready on Tamoxifen and Lupron, and on many days I could not even make it. Sometimes I had to rest in between the steps it took for me to make coffee in the morning. I used to laugh when I would read about how exercise could help with fatigue - you have to be able to get out of bed first!

I would have to set the alarm for 5am to start the process of making coffee so that I would be able to drink it by 8 am. Putting the water in the coffee maker was one step. I would be so tired I had to take a nap before getting up to grind the coffee beans. Then I was too tired to pour the ground beans into the filter. I had to take another nap for that.

These cancer meds are crazy.

I hope the drug starts treating you better.

Scoot/Enjoyful - congratulations on "clear" margins - radiation will zap the rest.  Happy Horse Riding.  Whew..., just whew....gotta stop or I'll go into a rant about how much I hate this disease..

Kam - I know very little about life, but I know A LOT about being in my 6th year of Arimidex.  From your stats, esp. the Oncotype, we HAVE to keep you a Happy Camper on Arimidex   The worst of the SE's, for some reason unknown to all my docs, but exactly correct, just like they knew to the DAY I'd lose my hair on chemotherapy, is the THREE MONTH mark - I had to stop taking it for 6 weeks.  When I started again, the worst was over.  Reason, WTFK's????  I mean seriously, really, who knows?

My hands were so painful, numb, trigger thumbs & fingers, PAIN all over. I was unable to sleep, or literally use my hands without screaming pain ( trigger joints, had to use one hand to move the fingers on the other hand awful!) SO, I went to a physiotherapist who specializes in hands - got several treatments, and DID THE EXERCISES she gave me. WORE WRIST SPLINTS to sleep every night ( that was for about a year) & even sometimes during the day.  Exercises help, really.  Was almost painfree when I restarted Arimidex.  Still wore wrist splints to sleep - think that makes the BIGGEST difference in healing.

THEN, Blue is gonna giggle, Neuropathy, probably left over from chemotherapy, earlier major back surgery 1983, being a member of the A Team - so ACUPUNCTURE.  Took about 6 sessions, neuropathy eased, I could feel my toes again ( still can't dance, but couldn't before) and the energy started increasing in my legs, shoulders got wiggly lose, as in AHhhhhhhhhh...this feels GOOOOOD wiggly lose.  Now just go once a month, "Maintenance" and it and full body massage by a woman trained by Tracy Walton ( Boston, MA) but she's trained women now working all over the country - I call this massage therapist & my acupuncturist, The Bookends of My Well Being.

IS IT 11/7 yet????  I am SO ready for this election to be over. Wonder how long for the counting? Crossroads America is even pushing TV ads in Western MA - they must have $$$$ to burn - ain't gonna make a hoot of differene here, except help GOTV for OUR President and ELIZABETH.

Thanks Rosemary and Lindasa - oh Athena you made me laugh - I am not resting in between the coffee making steps but pretty close - I am just usually so active it's making me crazy but Sunflowers may be on to something - I went off Arimidex almost two years ago and this time the symptoms are different and not as bad I guess - the pain thing last time nearly did me in, so did the sleeplessness but now that I have access to better drugs (I have a PCP that listens!!!) I am not as worried about the se's except the weakness - seeing my PCP in two weeks and I'll see if there is something to help.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend - I am SO looking forward to next Wednesday (we'll all be stress free!!! and probably bored).

Kam, so glad to read you're doing better! My days with this drug go up and down. Today I am feeling very tired, but it may be because I have been doing more than usual for the last 3 days, and today is the same. Feeling like I need a good rest to recover.

Re Christie, like I said, I don't know much about him or his actual politics. I thought he did well with the storm business. There was also an incident a while back when he defended a Muslim appointee, forcefully so and using the exact right arguments. He gives me the impression that he is at least not a toadie, nor a toad, even if he does resemble one a bit just physically.

Sandy, Kam, and all others on the A Team

The next HUGE HUGE HUGE change for me was, well, food.  I went GLUTEN FREE ( had been tested, no celiac) after a friend who does have celiac disease big time told me her doctor said he was having success with OSTEO Arthritis patients who were sick of  SE's of strong pain medication they were taking - by putting them on a gluten free diet - dramatically reduced their joint pain.

That's all I needed to hear - went gluten free, and within 2 weeks, went from about 10 ibeprofen a day to none, nada, zilch.  No. More. Joint. Pain.  Still a bit stiff if I sit in one place for a long time ( like 3 hours in a painting class if I forget to get up & walk around the room) - but fine once I get moving.

The more scientific amongst us will know WHEAT being grown & consumed has MUCH MORE gluten than it did 25 years ago.  Major difference.

Then, I went dairy free - and lost more than 10 lbs of bloat.  I swear, took about a month, but no other change in diet.  I had already stopped cheese, never drink milk ( like Alexandria, lactose intolerent) don't even miss the greek yogurt.  Can wear my regular ( old sized) rings again.  Cringe when I see ads for "good yogurt" to help us "stay strong."  Yeah, right...

If anyone is interested - Mark Bittman wrote a FABULOUS article for the Sunday New York Times Review a few weeks ago, about how he cured almost a lifetime of "tummy troubles" by stopping all milk products.  Amazingly positive response, so her added more info the next week.

KAM - "Ya gotta have Hope, Miles & Miles & Miles of Hope" what play is that from? I really believe SE's of the AI's can be managed.  Definitely not my frist choice of what I'd rather be doing, but I do it. I am blessed to have managed Depresssion b4 bc, blessed.  So I can't speak to comorbidity.  I wasn't willing to stop antidepressant I take so that I could take  Tamoxifen my doc wanted to start me on b4 the AI.  Spoke with excellent psychopharmacologist at Harvard Medical School, wonderful woman, and she GOT IT.  I know others can take Effexor, I can't.  Don't know about Celexa, but I just wasn't willing to let go of the stability I'd developed after years on one medication.

Who was it who always said: "Are we having fun yet?"  Think it was Otter - where is Otter????????

My experience with tamoxifen was far worse than the arimidex.  I too found that the worst of the aches and pains diminshed around the 5 month mark.  But it was the restriction of gluten and dairy that really made a huge difference for me.  Staying away from the inflammatory foods is also recommended.

Athena - me too!

As for a stolen election:  One thing to remember is that (as Sunny said) the powers-that-be on the Obama campaign are totally aware -- as is much of the public, I think -- of the widespread incidents of GOP dirty tricks and election-stealing attempts, including voter suppression.  There is no way the Democrats will roll over and play dead this time.  The internet is such a huge factor in this election (as it most definitely was not in 2000 and 2004).  Aside from the folks who will be voting against their own interests (there's no help for them, the stupid will always be with us) there are enough sane and informed folks who are ready and willing to stand up and fight for fairness in this election.

And in case I'm wrong (hardly ever!!!!) you can come and live with me on the universal healthcare side of the Niagara River!

Oh, and one more thing:

http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/03/nov-2-for-romney-to-win-state-polls-must-be-statistically-biased/

The 538: "Yes, of course: most of the arguments that the polls are necessarily biased against Mr. Romney reflect little more than wishful thinking.

Nevertheless, these arguments are potentially more intellectually coherent than the ones that propose that the race is “too close to call.” It isn’t. If the state polls are right, then Mr. Obama will win the Electoral College. If you can’t acknowledge that after a day when Mr. Obama leads 19 out of 20 swing-state polls, then you should abandon the pretense that your goal is to inform rather than entertain the public."

Notself -- Hm, possibly.  My guess is that many of them will be praying for the Apocalypse......

Happy anticipation dance!

Somalia might be a solution.  It has no health care, no pesky regulations, no teachers unions because it has no teachers, and it, too, suppresses women.